TRP: Larkin and Mishka (Bird and Snake)
'JEN ' Day 272, Gentleglen Some said not to praise a good thing too much or it would turn into the opposite, but really, who could deny that things were looking really fucking good. They'd loped Immanuel's head off, defeated the orc army without a single casualty, they were the heroes of the day and the pub in town had offered the Graverunners free lodging and drinks. And on top of that, Larkin had Azriel back and no reason to leave him out of her sight longer than it took to take a piss. She was in such a good mood, she would've bounced down the stairs to the taproom, if her legs weren't still kind of wobbly. Heh. Once down, she beelined for the bar and ordered a whole platter full of drinks. Whiskey, a bottle of wine, and a carafe of cocoa. They had to boil the milk first but really, Larkin didn't give a damn. Her love wanted his cocoa hot, he was gonna get it. While she waited, Larkin hopped up on one of the bar stools and began rolling herself a smoke. 'COYOTE '''07/08/2019 Ah, fuck. There was Larkin. Mishka heaved Hansel over his shoulder. “I feel like I really ought to apologize about the whole Renar thing,” he mused to himself. “What d’you think?” Hansel meowed. “Good point,” Mishka said. “She might stab me. Mm. I’ve been stabbed before, though. Listen, how about I take you with me for moral support?” Hansel dug his claws into Mishka’s shoulder. “Perfect,” Mishka said. He went to set in the barstool next to Larkin. “Hey, ah, cupca... sweethear— uh, songbir— Larkin. Hey, Larkin. D’you mind if we chat a moment?” '''JEN ' Larkin stopped rolling the smoke and dropped her hands to the bar. Talk about fucking tempting providence. "Kinda busy," she said. 'COYOTE '''07/08/2019 “Alright,” Mishka said. He hailed the bartender. “One shot of whiskey, please.” The bartender slid one over, and Mishka paid for it. He set it down in front of the cat. Hansel rumbled and settled down on Mishka’s lap. He didn’t drink the whiskey. “No?” Mishka said. “Hm. Well, alright.” He left the shot there in case Hansel wanted it later. '''JEN ' "Hey," Larkin called out. "How much longer for that cocoa?" The bartender gave her a slightly annoyed look, then shrugged. "I just put it on." "Yeah, right." Larkin kept her eyes locked on her cigarette, rolling it tight. Maybe Haeth wasn't taking the hint but that didn't mean Larkin had to acknowledge that dipshit. 'COYOTE '''07/08/2019 Mishka eyed her. He figured he’d come back later and talk to her some other time— apologize later— but honestly, he didn’t think she’d be in a better mood the next time he talked to her, either. “Hey, I just wanted to apologize for being an ass, earlier,” Mishka said. “You want me to fuck off or say my piece?” '''JEN ' She didn't answer for a moment, instead finished her cigarette and lit it on a candle. Then she gave Haeth a side glance. "There's more?" 'COYOTE '''07/08/2019 “Mm.” Probably pointless to sit here and explain, but he was going to do it anyway. “So, this is probably going to sound fucked,” Mishka said. “But, y’know, when I made that comment about how Renar loved you working for him and doing whatever he wanted… I wasn’t trying to fuck with you, I was trying to piss you off, make you see that was a bad thing. I was trying to make you see, hey, Renar was fucking using you.” Yeah. Probably useless to say. He doubted she’d believe him. “Anyway,” Mishka said. “I realize that’s pretty fucking manipulative. Sorry.” Mishka debated having a drink and explaining things a while, then decided she might not appreciate that. '''JEN ' Oh. Huh. This sounded pretty fucking sincere and it took Larkin a moment to realize that. She didn't stop scowling, though, because something was still fishy here and she didn't know what the fuck Haeth's game was, anyway. Antagonizing her over Renar and then coming to apologize like some... some... decent fucking person. Larkin scoffed and reached for the whiskey on her tray. "Yeah. Yeah,well, I know. Never thought Renar was having me break my back for him out of any fucking kindness. 'course he was using me." 'COYOTE '''07/09/2019 “Yeah.” Mishka brooded, a moment, trying to figure out what to say. “Well. I’m glad.” The idea of Larkin going back to Renar rankled him, for some reason. “I meant what I said about owing you a favor,” Mishka said. “Not sure you’ll take it, but there it is.” '''JEN ' "Well thanks, I guess." She smelled the whiskey, swirled it a bit, then downed it one go. Wasn't that good anyway. "Hey, Haeth," she said, and turned to face him squarely. 'COYOTE '''07/09/2019 “Mm?” He kept scratching the cat. He wondered if, at some point, he should mention the cat was Hansel. '''JEN ' "What am I do you anyway?" She spread a hand out, gesturing at herself. "Why do you give a fuck?" 'COYOTE '''07/09/2019 “Uh,” Mishka said. He slouched down in his seat. He kept his eyes fixed on the wood of the bar, tracing the grain with his finger. I am one hundred and eighteen, Mishka reminded himself. I am ancient. Powerful. Inscrutable. “I’d really like to be friends,” Mishka said. Horrifying. Terrible. He was never saying that again. “What I mean is,” Mishka said, “you remind me of someone I used to like. Her name was Corven...” And he’d never gotten very close to Corven, because he was a fuckup and a disaster who killed them all because he panicked and did something very fucking selfish. They’d known who he was. They’d expected it from him. Mishka pushed himself away from the bar. “I like you, is all. You’re a vicious motherfucker, and it’s nice. You don’t have to like me back. It’s probably best that you don’t. I’m aware I am a son of a bitch.” God, he forgot Hansel was here. Humiliating. '''JEN ' "Oh," Larkin said, and that was probably not the politest fucking answer, but the only one that came to her mind. Except stunned silence of course. "I mean..." she tried, but broke off because what the fuck did she mean? "Well. Okay I guess?" She grimaced. "Uh, look. Alright. Okay," she said, flapping a hand for Mishka to stay put. "That is... really fucking... nice I guess? Just not what I expected. From you, I mean. Like, I didn't think you gave a shit about me at all." 'COYOTE '''07/09/2019 Mishka thought about explaining. He thought about explaining how his mother kept him locked up when he was younger. Most Alabaster elves went to school when they were young, but Zoya kept him at home and taught him herself. His mother was a little weird, though— skittish, like him— and it was hard to learn social skills from her. Then his mother got him engaged to Aleksei, an older man. And Aleksei helped him escape and took him adventuring. Then Aleksei died, and he was alone. And it seemed easier, at that point, to give up. He’d been nearly a hundred, at that point, and still never had a normal friendship or normal relationship. It’d felt so fucking hard. He was funny. He was clever. That was enough to skate by and make people like him, just not Larkin. Mishka hunched over, picking at his nails. He was twenty-eight, in human years. Well into adulthood. It felt pathetic he didn’t know how to have normal relationships with people. Felt too late to learn. Joan made that comment to him, once: implied it should’ve been easy for him since he was pretty and funny and lived life on easy mode. She’d made other off-hand remarks, too, about him being vain or shallow. He knew she didn’t mean it, but it cut, sometimes. Larkin wasn’t his fucking therapist, though. So instead Mishka said, “Yeah. I mean. That’s a normal conclusion, y’know, from my behavior. It’s not like I was being nice and you missed it. But nah. I like you.” '''JEN ' "Huh, well," Larkin shrugged and gave Mishka a half-smile. "Good to know. However that's happened." 'COYOTE '''07/09/2019 “Hey. You want to know something neat?” '''JEN ' "Sure." 'COYOTE '''07/09/2019 Mishka held up the cat. “This cat is Hansel.” somnibot07/09/2019 Hansel meowed. '''COYOTE '''07/09/2019 “Meow three times if you’re Hansel,” Mishka told the cat, as proof. somnibot07/09/2019 He did not. '''JEN ' Larkin eyed the cat. "Why'd you name it after your husband?" 'COYOTE '''07/09/2019 “No no no. This cat is... You know what? It’s not important.” '''JEN ' "Waaaait." She leaned in and squinted at the animal. It did have a certain familiarity. "You turned Hansel into a cat? Why?" 'COYOTE '''07/09/2019 “Ahaha. Oh, no. No, I used to have this whole plan to figure out how to use polymorphing magic to turn him into a cat so he’d know how it felt when people picked him up and carry him around, but, well— oh, why did I abandon that plan? Hm. Y’know, I think I got distracted and forgot about it,” Mishka said. “Anyway, no no. He turned himself... into a cat.” '''JEN ' "That's fucking weird, man," Larkin told the cat. somnibot07/09/2019 Hansel's tail swished. He narrowed his eyes at her. 'COYOTE '''07/09/2019 “He’s precious,” Mishka said. “I’m going to get him a spiked collar.” '''JEN ' "Yeah, no, sorry." She pointed between Mishka and the cat. "That is fucking weird." God, she had to tell Azriel that. He wouldn't fucking believe it. 'COYOTE '''07/10/2019 Mishka snorted. He glanced at the window of the pub. He ought to go find Goro and tell him about this. Hansel seemed to have calmed down nicely, but he was probably still enjoying his time as a cat. “Where’s that pretty boyfriend of yours, anyway?” '''JEN ' Larkin jerked a thumb at the ceiling. "Whatcha think?" 'COYOTE '''07/10/2019 “Didn’t come down with you to keep you company?” Mishka said. “What, you got him tied to the bed up there?” He took a drink to hide his smirk. '''JEN ' "Pfff." Larkin couldn't help grinning. "Nah. That ain't by style. Don't need no ropes to keep him in my bed anyway." She winked. 'COYOTE '''07/10/2019 Mishka snorted into his drink. “So, you coming to Calimport or heading back to Skyport? Got people to extort, babies to steal candy from?” God, he was going to be so bored in Skyport waiting for them to come back. '''JEN ' "Eh." Larkin shrugged. "I oughta get back to Skyport but I guess there's more urgent work to do overseas... At least like this I get to see Calimport." 'COYOTE '''07/12/2019 “It’s nice there. Very nice. Wear sunscreen.” '''JEN ' Larkin frowned and gestured at her face. 'COYOTE '''07/12/2019 "What?" Mishka said, kicking up his feet. "If I have to fucking hear it from Hansel and Goro, you have to hear it from... somebody. Me, apparently." '''JEN ' "I don't get sunburn, Haeth," Larkin explained, chuckling. "I'm a tiefling and half Calish." 'COYOTE '''07/12/2019 "Hmph." He wondered if he could shapeshift into somebody half Calish. He missed Serena. She used to have some sort've special spell for shielding people's skin from the sun. He did miss her in general, because she was neat, and a god ate her, but also, he really missed the sun thing. "Anything you want me to do in Skyport while you're gone?" Mishka said. "Beat up any shopkeepers for you? Scowl at Finch?" '''JEN ' "Well, actually I thought Finch and I should take after Renar more." Larkin tapped her fingers on the bar, watching him for a reaction to that. "Make 'em see we're the better bet than anyone else. I mean- " she waved a hand. "More conviction than persuasion. If you catch my drift." 'COYOTE ' “Yeah, well. If you need anything.” Mishka raised his hand in a good-bye, then gently picked his husband off the bar and sauntered outside. Off to tell more people about Catsel. end 'COYOTE ' TITLE: Bird and Snake Summary: Mishka apologizes to Larkin for being an asshole. He explains Hansel is a cat now. Category:Text Roleplay